Mark Mittelberg: Why You Don’t Have to Dread Evangelism

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October 6, 2021

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Mark Mittelberg is a best-selling author and international speaker. His books include “The Unexpected Adventure: Taking Everyday Risks to Talk with People about Jesus” (with Lee Strobel),” “The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask (With Answers),” and “Confident Faith: Building a Firm Foundation for Your Beliefs.” He is the primary author of the award-winning “Becoming a Contagious Christian” training course, which has been translated into more than 20 languages used by more than 1.5 million people around the world. Mark’s newest book is “Contagious Faith: Discover Your Natural Style for Sharing Jesus with Others,” and he is also a featured speaker at the Amplify Outreach conference on Oct. 19-20, 2021.

Other Ways to Listen to This Podcast With Mark Mittelberg

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Key Questions for Mark Mittelberg

–In your book, you describe five styles that people can adopt when sharing their beliefs with others. Could you briefly go through those five styles for us?

-Do you think there’s still a place for those very specific, traditional models of evangelism?

-How do we avoid the problem of getting passionate about evangelism and seeing everyone as a project?

-A lot of the time, Christians hold back from sharing their faith out of fear of making a mistake or being rejected. How does Scripture speak to those hesitations?

Key Quotes from Mark Mittelberg

“I think that’s my main calling: To equip other believers who, like me, are afraid of evangelism.”

“I discovered my own style of evangelism and that unlocked for me a vision to help millions of other Christians learn how to unlock their style and to get involved to infectiously or contagiously, to share their faith with the people around them.”

“Really the backbone of all evangelism is always people talking to friends, people talking to other people around them…I think the lockdowns showed us that our approach to evangelism that had developed in the evangelical church was very vulnerable to things like pandemics.”

“This is what gives me such confidence to talk to Christians and especially pastors and church leaders…[these five styles] can unlock your congregation because we’re not going to try to get them all to do the same thing. In fact, we’re going to try to get them to innovate and do things that are congruent with who God made them to be.”

Flat Tires, Frustrations and Always Being Ready to Evangelize

By

Greg Stier

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October 6, 2021

Life’s little frustrations can lead to Gospel conversations.

There’s few things more frustrating than a flat tire. Yesterday my wife got one on her way to her hair appointment. I drove there as soon as I could, trying to beat the storm clouds that were rolling over the front range of the Rocky Mountains.

Quite honestly, it was frustrating. We had a double date that night and the flat tire threw a wrench (or most likely a nail) into our plans.

Flat tires and frustrating situations never seem to come at a convenient time!

When I arrived on the scene, I looked at my watch, like Denzel Washington in The Equalizer, to see how long it would take me to accomplish my task. As the clock started ticking, I pulled out the jack and the spare tire and got to work.

As I was finishing up, a young man who worked at a store nearby, came up to me and kindly offered to help.

I thanked him, told him I was almost finished with the job and put my Denzel-inspired mental stopwatch on hold to chat with him for a few minutes.

This young man’s name was Roman. He worked at the shoe store right next to where my wife was getting her hair done. He shared with me a bit about his life and background. That’s when I asked him if he had a church background. He began to open up to me and share some of the struggles he had been facing.

Soon we moved into a full-on Gospel conversation. I could tell right away it was hitting a chord down deep in his heart. Minutes later, right there in the parking lot next to a still-on-the-jack 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, he put his faith in Jesus Christ!

To Servants of Jesus Coming of Age in Your 30s and 40s

By

Beth Moore

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October 6, 2021

Spectacular joys come to older ones in the faith as we get to witness the next generation of servants coming of age. By coming of age I don’t mean numerically. There will always be individuals in Christ who hardly grow beyond their salvation and will wonder to the grave why God never came through with that meaningful life they thought they were supposed to receive. But the distractions of the world are enormous, demanding and titillating and, well, the phone and all. That we can be in Christ and immersed in a community of faith but never fulfill our calling is clear from places in Scripture like Colossians 4:17 where Paul told the brothers at Colossae,

And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”

No need to exhort somebody to fulfill a ministry if it’s not possible to leave it unfulfilled.

There will always be those who are enormously gifted and hold tremendous potential to impact community and globe for the kingdom of God but, like the unfaithful steward in Matthew 25, will bury what they’ve been given until Jesus returns, at which point they’ll hand it back to Him looking pretty much like it did when they got it. They lost interest. But they are not my concern today as I write this article. These words are to those of you who are doing what it takes. Who are in the thing up to your necks. You, who are coming of age in your calling, though God knows that, most of the time, if you’re like me, you’re not even sure how you got there. Oh, you could try to tell someone younger what steps you took. You could write a blog post about it. You could do a very effective Q&A on a panel about it. You could even write a book about it, but you know dang well deep in your heart that you really had no earthly idea what you were doing. All you can say at the end of the day is that you kept doing something—the next thing—however awkwardly, and perhaps even embarrassingly as you look back on it, to somehow serve Jesus. And, lo and behold, something finally started working. Not all the time, of course, but often enough to realize you might be onto something. You might be onto your calling. This season of your calling. Your works are producing fruit. You have this sense that you are where you are supposed to be for now.

That’s what I mean by coming of age.

Though it’s not about chronological age, it often corresponds enough for most of you to be in your 30s and 40s.

Man, it’s a gorgeous thing for your older brothers and sisters to behold. To get to cheer you on cheers me in a way I find ridiculously exhilarating. Right here on the spot I could list one hundred different names off the top of my head of men and women doing the thing. Some of you I get the chance to watch close up. Hands on. You delight me to no end. First and foremost, my daughters. My son-in-law. My spiritual sons and daughters. Others from across the room at church and others by phone and face-to-face as often as possible, like my beloved Priscilla Shirer. Good Lord, how I love her. Others of you on social media, which I love, by the way, and on which I’ve made some connections that really do have an ounce of substance to them. Jefferson Bethke, for instance. So many like him. Men and women. These relationships mean something to me. Their names are in my prayer journal. About eight young women communicators and Bible teachers are on my mind almost every day and jotted down regularly in a square in my prayer journal.

And I get to see you prosper in the Holy Spirit. I get to see your life bear fruit. I get to celebrate what God is doing through you. And I get to squirm, rub my forehead and groan—often audibly—as I watch you awaken to the war. That is why I’m writing today.

You didn’t know it was going to be like this.

You had no idea what you’d stepped into.

You think you must have done something wrong to make it this hard. When you started out, it wasn’t like this.

You haven’t really told anyone. Or not very many. Mainly because you’re too embarrassed.

You have no idea that every other person worth his/her salt in the kingdom of the living Christ is either going to go through their own version of the same thing or they are enduring it that very minute.

And it is hellacious.

SBC Executive Committee Says Yes to Waiving Attorney-Client Privilege

By

Jessica Lea

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October 5, 2021

sbc executive committee — Messengers vote during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting at Music City Center, Tuesday, June 15, 2021, in Nashville. RNS photo by Kit Doyle

The executive committee (EC) of the Southern Baptist Convention has voted to waive attorney-client privilege (ACP) in the investigation into whether or not the it mishandled allegations of sexual abuse. The SBC Executive Committee approved a motion from Pastor Jared Wellman on Tuesday, Oct. 5.

“This is one small step forward, for which I am thankful,” said survivor Jules Woodson, “but it’s only the beginning of a long road ahead. May truth prevail. May justice prevail. May accountability prevail. May restitution prevail. May change prevail. Amen.”

🚨🚨 #SBC 🚨🚨
This is one small step forward, for which I am thankful, but it’s only the beginning of a long road ahead.
May truth prevail. May justice prevail. May accountability prevail. May restitution prevail. May change prevail. Amen.

— Jules Woodson (@juleswoodson11) October 5, 2021

Wellman’s motion, which stipulated there must be a waiver of attorney-client privilege in the investigation, was approved by a vote of 44 to 31 after weeks of delay, debate, and often tense meetings. Some EC members fear waiving ACP will jeopardize the SBC’s insurance and expose the convention to liability. Six EC members have recently resigned (more are expected to after today’s vote); 67 were present at today’s meeting.

“I’d like to really express my relief that this present challenge seems to be behind us,” said EC chairman Rolland Slade after the motion passed. “Also I want to express sorrow over the conduct that we have displayed as Southern Baptists over the course of this absolutely necessarily deliberative process…Frankly, I think there are some apologies that are in order.”

SBC Executive Committee Votes to Waive Privilege

The Oct. 5 meeting, which lasted for over three hours, had an unpromising start. An attorney named Jim Murray who specializes in questions pertaining to insurance shared that he was retained by the SBC Executive Committee several weeks ago. Murray said he had “strong views” on the question of whether or not to waive ACP, but that his advice on the topic was itself privileged. So less than 20 minutes after the meeting began, the livestream ended as members went into executive session, presumably to hear Murray’s advice.

When the stream started again, EC member Jim Gregory gave a report. Gregory was among the EC members who met with the Sexual Abuse Task Force (SATF) on Sept. 27 in an attempt to come to a “workable solution” prior to last EC meeting on Sept 28. For further reading about that meeting, see the following article:

Is the SBC ‘Sinking Its Own Ship’? — Christian Twitter Stunned After Exec Committee Meeting

Gregory’s ultimate point was that the EC and SATF were still at an impasse. SBC president Dr. Ed Litton expressed surprise at this and revealed that an “eleventh hour” meeting had taken place the previous night. Litton said that the meeting had indicated that a “special master” process for the investigation would be a solution acceptable to all parties and that even EC president and CEO Ronnie Floyd had responded favorably to it. Gregory said, however, that the model would not work and was even worse than other options members had previously entertained.

After more discussion, Jared Wellman put forth a motion similar to those he had offered in the past, emphasizing that the waiver of privilege has always been selective and not a blanket waiver. His motion reads as follows:

I move that the Executive Committee authorize our Chairman to execute the contract with Guidepost that we received on October 1, 2021 which includes waiver of attorney-client privilege in accordance with the action of the messengers to the 2021 Southern Baptist Convention.

Hillsong’s Brian Houston Pleads Not Guilty to Covering Up Father’s Abuse

By

Stephanie Martin

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October 5, 2021

In a Sydney, Australia, courtroom Tuesday, a lawyer for Brian Houston said his client will plead not guilty to the charge of concealing his father’s alleged child sex abuse. Houston, co-founder of the worldwide evangelical megachurch Hillsong, wasn’t required to appear in person but has professed his innocence.

Before dying at age 82 in 2004, Frank Houston, Brian’s father, had confessed to sexual abuse of a boy during the 1970s. Police now say the younger Houston knowingly kept information from authorities instead of reporting the abuse.

When the charge against Brian Houston was announced in August, he described being “devastated.” In a statement, the pastor said, “These charges have come as a shock to me given how transparent I’ve always been about this matter.” Houston, 67, also indicated he would fight the charges, saying, “I welcome the opportunity to set the record straight.”

Brian Houston Steps Back From Hillsong Boards

In mid-September, Houston announced he was stepping aside from his role on the Hillsong boards so they “can function to their fullest capacity during this season.” His role as Global Senior Pastor, however, isn’t changing. The next court date for the case is November 23.

Australian authorities have been investigating sexual abuse for several years, and Brian Houston appeared before a Royal Commission in 2014 because of his father’s alleged actions. A year later, the commission found that Brian Houston had not reported his father’s crimes to police, instead allowing him to retire quietly.

Hillsong Has Faced Recent Scandals, Scrutiny

This scandal isn’t the only one Hillsong has faced recently. The megachurch, with a weekly attendance of 150,000 worldwide, has been under fire for its celebrity-pastor culture. New York Pastor Carl Lentz was fired for leadership issues, including an affair, and the Dallas location closed after financial abuse by pastors.

Last month, 60 Minutes Australia aired “Hillsong Hell,” featuring more allegations of sexual abuse. Hillsong called the report “factually wrong, sensationalized, unbalanced, and highly unethical journalism.”

‘COVID Has Been Harder On Us’: Some Black Churches Remain Hesitant To Reopen

By

Adelle M Banks

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October 5, 2021

Black Churches — Virginia’s Alfred Street Baptist Church gathers at Maryland’s Merriweather Post Pavilion for a service, with some people using the concert venues seats and others using its grassy areas, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021. Photo courtesy of Alfred Street Baptist Church

(RNS) — The pastor of a New York church that has halted in-person meetings since the coronavirus pandemic hit last year predicts the predominantly Black congregation won’t gather inside its sanctuary until the start of next year.

A Pennsylvania minister is counting on warm fall weather to allow some of her congregants to meet for worship outside in October, as it did two Sundays in September.

And a Virginia megachurch leader has twice met with his congregants at Maryland outdoor venues — usually reserved for concerts and football games — but doubts regular in-person worship will happen before December.

While many congregations have been back to worship for weeks and months, often masked and socially distant, some African American clergy continue to hold off on in-person services. Others have found that when they do open, most members continue to watch the livestreamed services from home.

“Every church has to make a decision on where they believe the line of safety is,” said the Rev. Howard-John Wesley of Alexandria, Virginia. “And in our mind, one member contracting COVID on the grounds of Alfred Street would be more than we believe glorifies God.”

Alfred Street Baptist Church has faced two realities during the pandemic: Virtual services are successfully attracting members, and people are continuing to die from the coronavirus, including a variant Wesley said recently took the life of a 39-year-old church member.

Wesley said his church is erring on the side of caution — and many of his colleagues are coming to the same conclusions.

“We compare that to the imagery you see of evangelical white conservative Christians that have their churches back open and are erring on the side of ‘faith,’ and that God will protect us,” Wesley said. “I think you have just a different perspective within African Americans.”

The Rev. Leslie Callahan ’s St. Paul’s Baptist Church in Philadelphia capped attendance at its two outdoor September services, announcing a maximum of 75 mask-wearing worshippers. She said about 35 attended one service and 50 were at the other, while fellow members watched online.

French Report: 330,000 Children Victims of Church Sex Abuse

By

Sylvie Corbet

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October 5, 2021

Sex Abuse — Commission president Jean-Marc Sauve, left, hands copies of the report to Catholic Bishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, president of the Bishops' Conference of France (CEF), during the publishing of a report by an independant commission into sexual abuse by church officials (Ciase), Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021, in Paris. A major French report released Tuesday found that an estimated 330,000 children were victims of sex abuse within France's Catholic Church over the past 70 years, in France's first major reckoning with the devastating phenomenon. (Thomas Coex, Pool via AP)

PARIS (AP) — Victims of abuse within France’s Catholic Church welcomed a historic turning point Tuesday after a new report estimated that 330,000 children in France were sexually abused over the past 70 years, providing the country’s first accounting of the worldwide phenomenon.

The figure includes abuses committed by some 3,000 priests and an unknown number of other people involved in the church — wrongdoing that Catholic authorities covered up over decades in a “systemic manner,” according to the president of the commission that issued the report, Jean-Marc Sauvé.

The 2,500-page document was issued as the Catholic Church in France, like in other countries, seeks to face up to shameful secrets that were long covered up. Victims welcomed the report as long overdue and the head of the French bishops’ conference asked for forgiveness from them.

The report said the tally of 330,000 victims includes an estimated 216,000 people abused by priests and other clerics, and the rest by church figures such as scout leaders or camp counselors. The estimates are based on a broader research by France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research into sexual abuse of children in the country.

The study’s authors estimate 80% of the church’s victims were boys, while the broader study of sexual abuse found that 75% of the overall victims were girls.

The independent commission urged the church to take strong action, denouncing its “faults” and “silence.” It also called on the Catholic Church to help compensate the victims, notably in cases that are too old to prosecute via French courts.

“We consider the church has a debt towards victims,” Sauvé said.

Francois Devaux, head of the victims’ group La Parole Libérée (The Liberated Word), said it was “a turning point in our history.” He denounced the coverups that permitted “mass crimes for decades.”

“But even worse, there was a betrayal: betrayal of trust, betrayal of morality, betrayal of children, betrayal of innocence,” he added.

Pat Robertson Turned Christian TV into Political Power — And Blew it Up With Wacky Prophecy

By

Mark I. Pinsky

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October 5, 2021

(RNS) — For many Americans, Pat Robertson, the Christian television pioneer and onetime presidential candidate, will always be remembered for his wacky pronouncements made at inflection points of American history.

“I don’t think I’d be waving those flags in God’s face if I were you,” he warned Orlando, Florida, city leaders in 1998 when they flew rainbow flags downtown in honor of Gay Days at Disney World. “This is not a message of hate — this is a message of redemption. But a condition like this will bring about the destruction of your nation. It’ll bring about terrorist bombs; it’ll bring earthquakes, tornadoes and possibly a meteor.”

After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the twin towers, Robertson said he agreed with Jerry Falwell, his guest on his signature talkshow, “The 700 Club,” that responsibility for the attacks on the United States fell to pagans, abortionists, feminists, gays and the lesbians.

Moments like these embarrassed his fellow Christians and marginalized the once-estimable political power Robertson wielded, consigning Robertson to the role of what one megachurch pastor called “the crazy uncle in the evangelical attic.”

But the right-wing conservative could also surprise his viewers. Once, he invited the Rev. Al Sharpton to the couch on “The 700 Club” to discuss climate change, agreeing that the issue is one that might bring the right and left together. In 2012, Robertson said that marijuana should be legalized.

But any recollection of Robertson, who announced Friday his intention to retire as daily host of “The 700 Club,” must include his transformation of televangelism from hot, pulpit-pounding sermons to a cool format. With his avuncular, upbeat personality, Robertson, 91, changed the picture of what televangelism could be. His “Tonight” show-like “The 700 Club” featured conversational talk and couch interviews, interspersed with entertainment.

The model was later adopted by Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker on their PTL (“Praise the Lord”) network and Paul and Jan Crouch on their Trinity Broadcasting Network.

Over the years, five presidents, both Democrats and Republicans, appeared on the show, along with numerous world leaders and musical artists.

Evangelical Christian Francis Collins Steps Down As NIH Director

By

Dale Chamberlain

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October 5, 2021

On Tuesday, Francis Collins announced that he is stepping down as director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by the end of the year.

Collins served as NIH director for over 12 years across three presidential administrations. He is the longest-serving NIH director and the only director to have served under more than one president.

In the announcement, Collins said, “It has been an incredible privilege to lead this great agency for more than a decade,” going on to say, “I fundamentally believe, however, that no single person should serve in the position too long, and that it’s time to bring in a new scientist to lead the NIH into the future. I’m most grateful and proud of the NIH staff and the scientific community, whose extraordinary commitment to lifesaving research delivers hope to the American people and the world every day.”

Collins is an evangelical Christian, and he was a recent guest on the Ed Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast. In his interview with Stetzer, Collins encouraged pastors to “try to use your credibility with your flock to put forward the public health measures that we know work—and that includes, if you’re not already vaccinated, do so.”

Collins expressed his disappointment that a large number of Christians have been resistant to the COVID-19 vaccine. “This is an answer to prayer, and it seems to me it ought to be embraced by believers. And yet there’s still a great deal of resistance, an unfortunate mixing of scientific information with conspiracies and sometimes politics, and it’s not a good mix,” Collins said.

When asked about churches who have resumed in-person services, Collins urged pastors to embrace recommended health safety measures, including vaccinations, wearing masks, and practicing personal distancing.

Collins said, “You don’t get to the end of a pandemic when you have a significant number of people who are still able to catch it, spread it, and incubate new mutations. If we could somehow figure out how to get the message across, and that includes a lot of people in churches who are still hesitant about taking these actions, then we might be able to send this thing packing.”

In response to the genuine concerns many evangelicals continue to have about the vaccine, Collins expressed the need to take those concerns seriously. “I’m increasingly needing to remember it’s better to listen than to lecture. So to provide an opportunity for people who are troubled about the safety or the efficacy of vaccines to express their concerns—find out what that’s based on,” Collins said. “Because there’s a lot of things on that list, almost all of which one can actually deal with and provide evidence that the information they may have heard is simply not based on fact.”

“And let’s remind ourselves as evangelical Christians, we’re about truth. We’re not about distortions. We’re not about conspiracies. We’re not about lies. The truth will set us free, and lies will imprison us,” Collins concluded.

Watch Dr. Collins’ full interview with Ed Stetzer below:

Listen and subscribe to the Ed Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast on Apple Podcasts here.

3 Ways Worship Leaders Can Pray

By

Todd Wright

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October 5, 2021

Praying is an odd thing for worship leaders. Sometimes you feel the urgency to do it and other times it can feel like a chore, especially when you have to do it in order to make some sort of transition in the service. It probably feels wrong to say it, but for a lot of worship leaders, praying is hard!

For this post, we’re talking specifically about extemporaneous or off-the-cuff prayers. Corporate prayers as readings are a valid expression in our worship, but we’re focusing a bit more specifically on those moments where you pray all on your own!

If you’ve ever struggled with “how” to pray or even wondered if there are some other ways or styles of prayer while you’re leading, here are a few tips!

PERSONAL PRAYER

This is the most common way most of us pray—these are the moments where we personally feel prompted to pray. This mode of prayer gets a lot of flack because it can sometimes produce wandering, pointless prayers, but I want to speak in defense of this way of praying. You may feel weird in these personal moments, but very often God will bless your sincerity and authenticity in that moment to encourage others. I encourage you to be open and honest before the Lord in these public prayer times. Pray as yourself—not as a person on stage or as a staff member. Don’t adopt a prayer voice or use phrases you normally don’t speak. Be you.

PROPHETIC PRAYER

There are also moments of prayer where you’re NOT praying for yourself. These are prophetic prayers, meaning that you’re praying publicly about something your congregation is learning or going through. You certainly should aim for sincerity here as well, but this is not a prayer about just the condition of your heart. This is a prayer that is focusing on what God is doing (or about to do). It’s helpful to recognize this prayer for what it is and to ask God to give you this gift of prayer. It can be a huge encouragement and teaching tool for your congregation.

PILOT PRAYER

I’ll confess that I don’t do this one nearly enough. A pilot prayer is better known as “guided prayer.” This is where you give the congregation instructions (and time) to pray for specific things. This may feel like an easy job, but it’s a huge burden to clearly communicate and compel your people to pray. Pilot prayers need forethought, practice and possibly even some written notes to keep you on track. It might be a bit awkward for your congregation at first, but I think they’ll appreciate you truly leading them in a prayer time.

What about you? What are some ways you pray from the platform?
Does praying publicly come easy for you?

This article originally appeared here and is used with permission.

Thanksgiving Sunday School Lesson: Cultivate Gratitude in Young Hearts

By

Jody Capehart

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October 4, 2021

As far as holidays go, Thanksgiving tends to get short shrift. After a brief time of truly giving thanks, our attention quickly turns to Christmas and shopping and gifts. Children are already anticipating what they’ll find under the tree. That’s why it’s important for children’s ministry programs to offer regular emphasis on gratitude. Here are some insights and ideas for a Thanksgiving Sunday school lesson.

Savor the Season

If someone allowed me to create the “perfect” calendar, I would provide more time to savor the traditions of Thanksgiving. It’s the quiet, reflective holiday tucked in between two very hectic ones. After the fun yet often crazy time of Fall Festivals and Trunk or Treat, we turn our calendar to find beautiful November.

Just as we’re relaxing into the anticipation of family time together, the malls and the media begin to cry out with Christmas. Now don’t get me wrong: I love Christmas. But in November, we need to keep our focus on Thanksgiving…that glorious time of year to reflect on our many blessings.

So I invite you to take a moment and walk with me into Thanksgiving. For one thing, it’s a holiday that has no controversy. Halloween brings its dark side, and Christmas is often consumed with commercialism.

However, Thanksgiving is simply a time to give thanks. The holiday provides a perfect opportunity to teach our children about the rich heritage of our country. The options for a Thanksgiving Sunday school lesson are innumerable! As an educator and school administrator for four decades, I never tire of teaching students of all ages about our country’s early years.

So, if I planned the calendar, I’d put at least six weeks between October 31 and when the ascent to the Christmas events begins. We don’t want this special time of Thanksgiving to be eclipsed. Here are just a few of many activities you can do with your children.

Thanksgiving Sunday School Lesson: Try These Tips

Thanksgiving affords opportunities to cultivate Christ-like character in our children because the focus is on God and others, not them. As a result, it’s an ideal time to train their tender hearts as you…

♥ Focus on America’s rich heritage.

Take time to read books and cultivate a love for history (HIS story) in your children. Act out stories together, for example.

♥ Focus on gratitude for our many blessings.

Make a Blessing Box for your home. At dinner or bedtime, have each person share three things they’re thankful for. As the month continues, it allows us to s-t-r- e -t-c-h to see beyond the obvious and see how profoundly God has blessed us. For young children. you could say, “Today you’re on a mission to find things, people, and events that show ways God is blessing you!” On note cards, write brief reminders of their answers to put in your Blessing Box with the family member’s name. Cultivating this attitude of gratitude can become a habit, not only for Thanksgiving, but for a lifetime.

♥ Focus on giving to others.

A thankful heart overflows and wants to give to others. Thanksgiving provides many opportunities to serve and give to others. Participate as a family. As we know, more is caught than taught. Kids “got” candy in October and will “get” gifts in December. But Thanksgiving is tucked in between and is the time to give.

♥ Cultivate Christ-like character traits such as contentment.

Before the holiday “gimmies” descend and children begin focusing on what they want, train their hearts to be content with what they already have.

Select a Scripture(s) that captures the message of Thanksgiving. Talk about the words, their message, and how you can live them out each day with your family.

“…give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (Colossians 4:2)

What ideas do you recommend for a Thanksgiving Sunday school lesson? How do you teach children about gratitude all year long?

This NBA Player Wears #23 Because of a Bible Verse; Monty Williams’ Faith Influences Coaching

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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October 4, 2021

Last week, Phoenix Suns‘ power forward Cameron Johnson revealed the deeper meaning behind his jersey number 23 when asked about it by sportscaster Marco Peralta. It’s a reference to Psalm 23.

Peralta, whose Twitter profile reads “God 1st,” asked how Psalm 23 influences the way Johnson plays basketball. Johnson shared how his grandmother would use the Bible passage as a prayer. “My grandma, she’s a prayer warrior to the fullest extent, and she kind of told my dad to use this Bible passage as a prayer every time you go into a game, into a competition, into an important meeting—whatever it may be, and he instilled that down into me.”

Johnson says that he has prayed the Bible passage before every game since high school, reciting it during the national anthem.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
– Psalm 23

“It’s the reason I wear 23,” Johnson said. The 25-year-old, who is in his second NBA season, was also a huge Michael Jordan fan growing up. The power forward was only 7 years old when Jordan, who also famously wore number 23, retired from the NBA for good.

Since Johnson played at the same college where Jordan had played, he wasn’t able to wear the number 23 until joining the NBA. The University of North Carolina had retired it.

“There’s no number that has the tie to me as 23 does,” Johnson explained. “Because of Psalm 23, and because my middle name is Jordan and I watched Jordan videos growing up like none other…obviously I had to go back to it.”

Cameron Johnson was a big Jordan fan growing up but there’s a bigger reason why he decided to wear the number 23 on his back.

Another question, I got to ask during @Suns media day. 🏀☀️#Psalm23 #Psalm #Psalms #Suns #PhoenixSuns #RallyTheValley #michaeljordan #Jordan pic.twitter.com/Bej96YVFxw

— Marco “Thee Alta” Peralta (@TheeAltaPeralta) September 29, 2021

Coach Monty Williams’ Faith

Peralta also inquired about the faith of Phoenix Suns’ head coach Monty Williams, asking him if it influences the way he coaches or helps him through tough losses like the one the Milwaukee Bucks handed them in the NBA Finals.

“The biggest thing about my faith is that I’m just not all that,” Williams said. “I’m a part of a plan and an assignment that is much bigger than basketball. The Lord has been so good to me to allow me to be in this position for as long as I have been. I know I don’t deserve that based on who I am.”

Williams told Peralta that studying the Bible “humbles” him and forces him to “lay his life down for the staff and players, because that’s what I am called to do.”

Losing the NBA Finals wasn’t easy, driving Williams to what he described as a “pity party,” and a state of “internal sadness.” Williams said that it was prayer and studying the Bible that made him realize just how much God has blessed him.

Williams went on to say that he encourages his players that every NBA game is a “get to” not a “got to,” but admitted that he fails to subscribe to his own words. “As if I deserve to win because I earned some right,” Williams said. “That’s where my faith plays a huge role in all is.”

Here’s a question I got to ask Phoenix @Suns coach, Monty Williams on how much his faith influences his coaching and how it helped him bounce back after losing the finals against the Bucks. 🙏🏼🏀☀️#Suns #PhoenixSuns #NBA #RallyTheValley pic.twitter.com/SlfJG7JxN4

— Marco “Thee Alta” Peralta (@TheeAltaPeralta) September 28, 2021

WA State Agency Grants, Then Revokes Religious Exemptions for COVID-19 Vaccine

By

Jessica Lea

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October 4, 2021

At least 11 people who had been granted a religious exemption from a Washington state agency had those exemptions revoked, leaving the state workers mere days to get the COVID-19 vaccine in order to avoid losing their jobs.

“I feel like I have been almost betrayed in a way,” Brad Otto, who works for the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW), told FOX 13 News, “that I had this exemption, an accommodation granted and now it’s taken away.”

WA State Agency Retracts Religious Exemption

On Aug. 9, Gov. Jay Inslee announced that all state employees were required to be vaccinated as a condition of employment and set the vaccination deadline for Oct. 18, 2021. The governor’s requirements allow for a religious exemption, but set strict parameters around what that means. The order states:

Workers for State Agencies, Workers for operators of Educational Settings, and Health Care Providers are not required to get vaccinated against COVID-19 under this Order if they are unable to do so because of a disability or if the requirement to do so conflicts with their sincerely held religious beliefs, practice, or observance.

READ: NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins on COVID, Vaccines, and Getting Back to Church

According to the order, people must not claim an exemption based on false or misleading information, nor on their own personal preferences. Moreover, agencies must document “that the request for an accommodation has been made and include a statement in the document explaining the way in which the requirements of this order conflict with the sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance of the individual.”

Even when the state does approve a religious exemption, that does not guarantee that an employee will be able to keep his or her job. After approving an exemption, agencies then evaluate whether or not they can accommodate that employee. Employers are required to evaluate each case individually and avoid “‘rubberstamping’ accommodation requests.”

DFW approved religious exemptions for Otto and 10 other employees before revoking those exemptions. Otto told FOX 13 that his exemption had been approved on Sept. 20 and that it was rescinded on Sept. 29. The department had granted him an accommodation allowing him to telework or, if he came into work, to wear a mask and social distance. The governor did not change the guidance during that time period, so it is unclear why officials changed their minds about the DFW employees.

‘Jesus Christ Superstar’: The Controversial Musical Phenomenon Turns 50

By

Kathryn Post

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October 4, 2021

(RNS) — On March 25, 1971, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, a small, private Lutheran college held an illegal performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar.” The stripped-down, oratorio-style show was an entirely student-led endeavor featuring a physics major as music director and faculty members donning doctoral robes playing high priests.

“I can’t read music, and I’m not a musician,” said Larry Recla, the seminary intern who produced and directed the Gettysburg College production. “This thing exploded and took on a life of its own.”

Weeks into rehearsal, the company received word of a court order prohibiting amateur companies from performing the show for copyright reasons. Undeterred, the group decided not to print advertisements and to call the performance a dress rehearsal in an effort to avoid a lawsuit. Despite the lack of printed publicity, the performance attracted more than 1,200 audience members, some of whom sat on windowsills or stood outside to catch the sound of drums and electric organ.

“It was explosively glorious,” said Recla. “People could not sit still; they were up yelling and screaming. The applause after each of the shows lasted 10-15 minutes.”

Months later, on October 12, 1971, a glitzy, over-the-top performance of “Jesus Christ Superstar” opened on Broadway. The critics weren’t thrilled — some called it brash, and Webber himself called it vulgar — but thanks to a $1,000,000 advance sale and the attention of religious protesters, the show was already a phenomenon. This month, the show celebrates its 50 anniversary.

Initially, Rice and Webber’s idea for a rock opera passion play didn’t take off — one investor called it the “worst idea in history,” and the 1970 concept album was banned by BBC radio for being sacrilegious. The album met a different fate in the U.S., where it became the bestselling record of 1971.

“For a lot of people, it was the visceral excitement of the music,” said Devin McKinney, archivist at Gettysburg College and author of “Jesusmania!: The Bootleg Superstar of Gettysburg College.” “It got your body moving and mind thinking and connected it with this religious impulse that a lot of kids felt or wanted to feel.”

The original album, with numbers including “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” and “Superstar,” employed rock-infused Broadway tunes to narrate the week leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion, all told from the betraying disciple Judas’ perspective. The hit album inspired a slew of amateur performances of the show that preceded the Broadway production.

Donald Trump: ‘Nobody Has Done More’ For Christianity, Evangelicals, or Religion Itself

By

Dale Chamberlain

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October 4, 2021

In a recent interview with Flashpoint host Gene Bailey on the VICTORY Channel, former president Donald Trump claimed that nobody has done more for Christianity, evangelicals, or religion itself than him.

The interview began with a discussion about the 2020 presidential election results. Claiming that the media has refused to cover the Arizona election audit, Bailey asked Trump to give his thoughts.

“Because the media’s corrupt, pastor. You know it as well as I do. And many people know it. Probably the ones that know it best is the media itself. They are corrupt. They don’t tell the truth. And they are, in fact, the enemy of the people. And it’s a terrible thing,” Trump said.

Trump then went on to discuss the results of the election audit in Arizona, which confirmed Biden’s victory and dispelled rumors of widespread voter fraud. “We had a tremendous audit. It was done by the Senate, the Arizona Senate—and they’re brave people. And the findings were unbelievable,” Trump said, going on to criticize the media. “So the media doesn’t want to call it. I think they called it findings at the end—findings. And the findings were just brutal. And yet the media doesn’t want to report the findings. It’s really a very sad thing for our country.”

In response to Trump’s criticism, Bailey said, “Americans have lost respect for the media, and we’re turning that around,” presumably referring to the VICTORY Channel and the Flashpoint show.

Bailey went on to compliment Trump on how well attended his rallies continue to be, asking why Trump thinks they’re so successful.

“They like what I’m saying. Probably, they think I’m extremely handsome, but I’m only kidding. But they do like what I’m saying,” Trump said. Trump went on to recount an Alabama rally with 60,000 in attendance and another in Georgia with 38,000, though the U.S. Secret Service and media outlets estimated the rallies at 45,000 and 8,000-10,000 respectively.

Trump then turned his attention to politicians. “You hear these politicians talk. And they don’t want to talk about anything, and that’s why our country is going so far Radical Left, he said, voicing his concerns about communism. “And, you know, some people say socialist and some people say communist. I mean, it’s terrible. Part of the thing with the media is that, as you know, what happens to countries is when you lose your voice, when they don’t say what’s going on, that’s the first step toward communism. And it’s a terrible, terrible thing that’s happening in our country.”

Probe: Catholic Church in France Had 3,000 Child Abusers

By

AP News

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October 4, 2021

PARIS (AP) — An independent commission examining sex abuse within the Roman Catholic Church in France believes 3,000 child abusers — two-thirds of them priests — have worked in the church over the past 70 years.

The estimate was given by the commission president, Jean-Marc Sauvé, in an interview published Sunday in the newspaper Journal du Dimanche. The commission has been investigating for 2 1/2 years. Its full findings are scheduled to be released on Tuesday.

In the interview, Sauvé did not give a figure on the number of sex abuse victims but said the report does include a new estimate.

Asked about the commission’s work investigating child abusers, he said: “We evaluated their number at 3,000, out of 11,500 priests and church people since the 1950s. Two-thirds are diocesan priests.”

He said 22 cases have been forwarded to prosecutors for alleged crimes that can still be pursued. More than 40 cases of alleged crimes that are too old to be prosecuted but that involve suspects who are still alive have been forwarded to church officials, Sauvé said.

“From 1950 to 1970, the church is completely indifferent to the victims: They don’t exist, the suffering inflicted on children is ignored,” the newspaper quoted him as saying. “The periods that followed were different.”

He added: “Our objective is to furnish a concrete diagnosis of all the abuses, to identify the causes and draw all of the consequences.”

This article originally appeared here.

Wyoming Librarians Under Fire for Books About Sex, LGBTQ

By

Mead Gruver

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October 4, 2021

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Books about sex, LGBTQ issues and how to have a baby have public library employees in a deeply conservative Wyoming city facing possible prosecution after angry local residents complained to police that the material is obscene and doesn’t belong in sections for children and teenagers.

For weeks, Campbell County Public Library officials have been facing a local outcry over the books and for scheduling a transgender magician to perform for youngsters, an act canceled amid threats against the magician and library staff.

The books are “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson, “How Do You Make a Baby” by Anna Fiske, “Doing It” by Hannah Witton, “Sex is a Funny Word” by Corey Silverberg, and “Dating and Sex: A Guide for the 21st Century Teen Boy” by Andrew P. Smiler, according to Susan Sisti, a local pastor who has been raising concerns about those and other books in the library.

“It’s really easy to go into the library and look around a little bit and find a filthy book that should not even be in a public library,” said Sisti, pastor of Open Door Church in Gillette. “These books are absolutely appalling.”

Now, after a complaint filed with the sheriff’s office, prosecutors are reviewing the case. They will seek appointment of a special prosecutor to weigh in as well before deciding whether to pursue charges, County Attorney Mitchell Damsky announced Friday.

Investigators haven’t contacted library officials about the case, leaving them unsure which books got the library in potential legal trouble, said the library’s executive director, Terri Lesley.

Told the list provided by Sisti, Lesley said library officials had reviewed a complaint about “This Book is Gay” and determined it belonged in the library’s Teen Room. The decision was being appealed to the library board while library officials review pending complaints about the other four.

In all, the library has been working through 35 recent complaints about 18 books, she said, a situation she said appeared to be quite unusual for a public library.

“It’s unexpected,” Lesley said. “We are trying to be the force of reason, trying to work through these things using the policy we have in place — review these books and do our due diligence.”

The Pornography of Wonderless Preaching

By

Mike Leake

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October 4, 2021

“Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? (Proverbs 6:27)

I, like many others, have been listening to The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. It’s an incredibly sobering look, by Mike Cosper, at the ministry of Mark Driscoll at Mars Hill in Seattle. I thought of Proverbs 6:27 as I was listening to one of the more recent podcasts.

At a conference, Driscoll was talking about the importance of a plurality of elders. It’d protect from one preacher not being the center, people not following a single man. He talked about the dangers of celebrity. It was as if he was saying that it was holding fire to the chest. It was incredibly insightful. I only wish he had listened to his own advice.

That’s the thing with Solomon. He didn’t listen to his own advice. He held fire to his chest and it cost him his entire empire. How could this happen? Why would Solomon have done this if he knew better? Solomon knew better. So did Driscoll. So, why? I think Bruce Waltke gives a helpful answer:

If one should ask, “If Solomon is the wise author, how could he have died such a fool?” let it be noted that he constructed his own gibbet on which he impaled himself—that is, he ceased listening to his own instruction. Spiritual success today does not guarantee spiritual success tomorrow.

The other day I picked up my copy of Dangerous Calling by Paul Tripp. Look at the back cover:

Harris no longer identifies as a Christian and Tchvidjian had his own fall. A dangerous calling indeed. How does this happen? Ironically enough, I think one answer is found in Tripp’s book; namely, we lose our awe.

This means that every sermon should be prepared by a person whose study is marked by awe of God. The sermon must be delivered in awe and have as its purpose to motivate awe in those who hear…Now it’s very hard to preach and shape the ministry of the church this way if familiarity has produced a blindness that effectively robbed you of your awe of God. It is very difficult in ministry to give away what you do not possess yourself.
(Tripp, 118-119)

Most Americans Know and Trust Their Neighbors

By

Aaron Earls

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October 4, 2021

Despite quarantines and social distancing keeping people in their homes during the pandemic, Americans still say they know their neighbors.

Almost 7 in 10 U.S. adults (68%) say they trust the people who live in their local community, according to a study from Nashville-based Lifeway Research. Close to a quarter of Americans (23%) disagree, and 10% say they aren’t sure.

“Trust is the basis of a peaceful society,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “It’s a hopeful sign that amid months of distancing and political unrest more than two-thirds of Americans trust those in their community.”

Men (72%) are more likely than women (63%) to say those who live around them are trustworthy. Those 65 and older are most likely to agree (79%), while younger adults, aged 18-34, are least likely to agree (59%).

Residents of the South (24%) are more likely than those in the Midwest (18%) to disagree and say they don’t trust the people who live in their community.

Religious identification and practice also play a role in the likelihood someone is trusting of those in their neighborhood. Protestants (71%) and Catholics (69%) are more likely to agree than the religiously unaffiliated (60%). Americans with evangelical beliefs (76%) are also more likely to trust their community than those without evangelical beliefs (66%).

Specifically among those who identify as Christian, those who attend church services at least four times a month (17%) are less likely than those who attend less than once a month (25%) to express doubt about trusting the people who live near them.

10 Gifts for Pastor Appreciation Month

By

Brad Whitt

-

October 3, 2021

October is Pastor Appreciation month. This is the month when many churches will take some time to show their appreciation to their pastor for his love and ministry over the past year. Show your pastor your true appreciation for his love and ministry over the past year. Here are gifts for pastor appreciation month that will show how much you care.

Some churches will take up a love offering for their pastor. Many will put a basket in the vestibule in which members can place cards with kind sentiments they want to share with their pastor. A few churches may even have a dinner or a reception to show pastor appreciation, a nice time to get together, to express their feelings for their pastor.

All of these things are nice and good for pastor appreciation. In fact, I believe it is a great idea for a church to take one month out of the year to do something special to show just how much they appreciate the time and effort, love and concern their pastor has for them.

I know I’ve been blessed in recent years by a church that does just that. Now, it wasn’t always that way. When I first came to Temple, I remember when one of our new staff members, who had come from a larger church in North Carolina that evidently knew how to show their love for their pastor, approached Temple’s deacon chairman and asked him if the church ever had some sort of a pastor appreciation day. The chairman got a funny look on his face and said: “No. We never have. We just always paid ‘em good.” My new associate shared how strange that sentiment was to him. He just couldn’t understand how a man so successful in the business world could overlook something so simple as expressing love and appreciation for a year’s worth of ministry. I remember him telling me how his former church would try to outdo themselves every year when it came time for Pastor Appreciation month. I know that pastor had to appreciate all they did to show him their love.

As I was driving to the office this morning, I was thinking through some of the gifts I know I have appreciated over the years as a pastor and thought that I would share what I believe are the top 10 gifts for pastor, and not just during Pastor Appreciation month but the other eleven months of the year as well.

10 Gifts For Pastor Appreciation Month

1. Your prayers

This is one of the greatest gifts for pastor appreciation month. If you don’t love him like you should, begin to pray for him, and you will. Of course, if you already love him, then you’ll naturally want to pray for him. I’ve had several of our senior adults tell me when I call just to check in on them how they pray for me every day. That’s fuel for more ministry!

2. Your love

A pastor who really shepherds his people will expend a great amount of love. His heart will be stretched and often broken. Next to your prayers, the greatest thing you can give your pastor is your love. By the way, if you love him, let him know it. Despite what some people think, I don’t know of any pastor who has the ability to read minds. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve received a card expressing a member’s love and prayers just when I thought nobody in the church liked me, much less loved me.

3. Your unconditional support

Dr. Jim Henry told our deacons recently that researchers say that other than being the president of the United States, the most stressful “job” is that of being the pastor of a local church. I remember years ago when one of our associate pastors was preaching, he made a statement that at first made me think he was going to have to make a trip to the pastor’s office. He said, “The pastor is not always perfect …” I knew that. Everybody knows that. I just didn’t think somebody would say it from the pulpit. Then he added, “But he is always the pastor.”

4. A little grace

I’m amazed at how often people get their feelings hurt in church. Often it is because of something somebody did or said, or didn’t do or didn’t say. Sometimes that somebody is the pastor. The next time you start to get upset with your pastor, take just a minute, breathe and consider the possibility he might just be human too. Maybe, like you, he actually has good days and bad days. You never know what burden he might be carrying, what issue he’s having to deal with. It might be something at church or at home. So, give a little grace and cut him some slack. You would want him to do the same for you.

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